Elizabeth
by Humerus Wordage
Summary: Very AU. A Disney-style fairy tale starring Buffy characters. B/A They are named Elizabeth and Liam for the story . After a chance meeting, Liam and Elizabeth fall in love. Can they overcome the obstacles?


*~* VERY A/U!!! Disney-style fairy tale starring Buffy characters. B/A, but their names  
  
are Elizabeth and Liam.  
  
Disclaimer: Wishes do come true. I woke up this morning and there it was- the contract  
  
to everything Buffy. Alas, I realized that keeping it just wouldn't be right and I mailed  
  
the contract to Joss Whedon. I know; I am stupid.  
  
***  
  
Elizabeth  
  
***  
Once, a great many years ago, there lived a beautiful, young woman. Her life was  
  
perfect. Elizabeth grew up in a large home with her younger sister Dawn and her parents.  
  
The family had a butler and several maids who lived in the house. Despite all of this she  
  
was never spoiled, and everyone adored her.  
  
Life was simple for her. She took lessons during the week and went to market  
  
every Sunday. Everything she did, she loved; life never became boring. Her love of life  
  
was contagious. Anywhere she went people couldn't help but smile when they saw the  
  
ever-joyful blonde haired, green-eyed girl.  
  
One day, Elizabeth sat looking out the large window in her study room. She  
  
thought the fields were very beautiful in spring. One of the maids entered the room while  
  
she was still looking out the window.  
  
"Miss Elizabeth, dinner is ready."  
  
"Very well Winifred. I will be out in a moment."  
  
Winifred nodded and exited the room, followed soon after by Elizabeth. When  
  
they arrived in the dining room, Elizabeth's father was talking to one of the maids.  
  
"Marian, would you please go and fetch Dawn for me?"  
  
Hearing this, Elizabeth spoke, "No father, please allow me to find her."  
  
"Nonsense Elizabeth; Marian please."  
  
"But father, I should like to see the sun and hear the birds. I haven't been out for  
  
days.  
  
"He sighed, "Alright, you may go, but be careful."  
  
"Thank you father. I will be quick." She kissed him and almost ran out the door.  
  
The yard was vast and coloured with flowers of every color. There was a fountain, which  
  
her mother had picked, and a stone path that led to the woods. Elizabeth walked down  
  
the path, careful to hitch her skirts so they didn't drag in the dirt. She knew that she  
  
would find her sister at the river.  
  
As she walked along the path, Elizabeth felt as though someone was watching  
  
her. If she had looked carefully into the woods to the left, she would have seen the young  
  
dark haired man who was indeed watching her. Her beauty and grace awed him.  
  
The next day, Elizabeth went to market with her mother, as it was Sunday. They  
  
walked through the maze of carts and stands and gazed at the wonders that the shops  
  
held. Elizabeth had stopped to feel the silk that a cloth vendor was selling when she felt  
  
something brush across her arm.  
  
"Oh" she said and looked up from the red silk that she held. Her gaze landed on a  
  
handsome man who wore the clothes of a merchant.  
  
"I'm sorry, did I startle you?" the man asked. 'That's the girl that I saw yesterday',  
  
he thought.  
  
"Yes" she confessed. "I didn't see you there." She took in his dark hair and eyes  
  
and tall frame.  
  
The man caught the strange look on the girl's face and realized that he had been  
  
staring. "I'm sorry, I've forgotten my manners. My name is Liam" he offered.  
  
"I'm Elizabeth" she returned, smiling.  
  
Liam and Elizabeth talked until she had to leave and they parted with a promise  
  
that they would meet again next Sunday at the cloth stand. Liam was deep in thought as  
  
he walked, so much so that he bumped into someone.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry " he said, "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'm fine" an angry, feminine voice replied. The girl, Darla, looked up at him as  
  
she fussed over her skirts. Seeing how handsome he was, she covered up her anger and  
  
tried to act sweet and innocent. "My name is Darla," she smiled. "Would you help me  
  
with my bags?"  
  
"Did you say something?" he asked, unaware of her anger-flushed face.  
  
"Oh nothing" she spat in a fake sweet voice; she quickly gathered her bags and  
  
left. 'Insolent fool' she thought, 'I'll get him for that. He'll bow at my feet and serve me  
  
forever. No one ignores me.'  
  
Liam wondered over the strange girl whose name was Darla before he continued on his way. He thought only of Elizabeth for the rest of the day and most of the next  
  
week.  
  
They met at the cloth vendors on the next Sunday as they had promised and talked  
  
for hours. When Liam walked her home and they parted again, they promised once more  
  
to meet the following Sunday at the market.  
  
Sundays at the market were soon joined by Tuesdays at the river and Fridays at  
  
the promenade. The promenade was their favourite place. It was a path through the park  
  
that was always full of birds and squirrels and children and families. They both loved the  
  
view of the harbour and the bench they always sat at. It was one of those days at the  
  
promenade when Liam asked Elizabeth to marry him.  
  
Darla hid in the bushes, silently angry at Liam for his stupidity. 'I knew I should  
  
have acted sooner' she thought. 'But its not too late, I will have him, he will marry me.'  
  
She whispered to herself and her evil laughter echoed.  
  
At her dark, cold castle she practiced her dark magic. "Furein, when the time is  
  
right, you will make your move."  
  
"Yes. Furein lives to serve his queen."  
  
When Elizabeth returned home that night, she was excited and happy. She had to  
  
tell her parents the news. "Mother, father, I have something to tell you" she said. They  
  
looked at her from their positions on the couch. "Liam has asked me to marry him and I  
  
have accepted!" She smiled.  
  
Elizabeth's father forbade her to marry Liam and her mother agreed. He was only  
  
a merchant after all and he was not good enough for their daughter. She turned and flew  
  
from the house.  
  
The girl ran to the river, fell to the ground, and sobbed loudly. She never heard  
  
the attacker until it was too late.  
  
The heat on her back forced her to tumble forward. Elizabeth struggle to stand up  
  
and faced her attacked. A dragon! The beast was a foot taller than her and covered in  
  
green scales. "Stop!" Elizabeth cried.  
  
"Furein only listens to Darla. Furein will now kill the girl." The dragon hissed and flame shot from his nose and mouth.  
  
Elizabeth backed away from the flame and fell into the water. Furein looked at  
  
the water and laughed. "Furein wins." He flew back to his master.  
  
"Help!" Elizabeth screamed. She tried to keep her head above the water but she  
  
didn't know how to swim. She tried to call for help again.  
  
Liam ran through the woods as fast as he could; he had heard Elizabeth's cries for  
  
help. When he got to the river, he saw her. "I am coming Elizabeth." Liam jumped into  
  
the river and hoisted her out of the water. He wrapped his coat around her and held her  
  
close to him. When she awoke a moment later, he heard her speak. "Don't leave." He  
  
didn't.  
  
By the time Furein returned, Darla was furious. "You imbecile!"  
  
"But Furein succeeded, he killed the girl."  
  
"No, you didn't" Darla yelled. "The girl lives."  
  
"Furein is most sorry. He wishes to try again for his queen" the dragon replied.  
  
'Perhaps. However, you will not kill her this time. Bring her to me and bring the  
  
boy as well."  
  
"Furein will do well this time, he will please his queen."  
  
"You had better. Now go!"  
  
Elizabeth told Liam about her parents and the dragon, and he told her not to  
  
worry. The dragon was far away and her parents would change their minds. He didn't  
  
believe the latter part though, and he was wrong about the first part.  
  
Furein swept low over their heads. "Master sent Furein to get the girl and the  
  
boy." He knocked them out and took them to Darla.  
  
Darla tied Elizabeth up and cast a spell on Liam that made him do whatever she  
  
wanted. She commanded him to kill Elizabeth and he proceeded toward her with a sword  
  
while she slept.  
  
As he was about to swing the sword, Elizabeth woke up. He saw her fear and  
  
heard her say his name. The spell was broken. Liam turned and pointed the sword at the  
  
vicious sorceress. He told her to run, but before she could, Furein flew at Liam and  
  
knocked the sword from his hand.  
  
They all watched as the sword flew through the air and pierced Darla in the heart.  
  
Furein disappeared when she breathed her last and Liam carried Elizabeth from the  
  
castle.  
  
Elizabeth told her parents the story of how Liam saved her life twice and they  
  
changed their minds about him. Elizabeth was allowed to marry Liam after all.  
  
//...and they lived happily ever after...//  
  
THE END  
  
Best thing you've ever read or makes you sick? Let me know! 


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